Folding screen



' 1,635 199 July 1927' w. L. WADSWORTH FOLDING S GREEN Filed Nov. 2,1923 ATTORNEYS Patented July 12, 1927.

* UNITED STATES WESLEY L. wnnswon'rm or imO KLYN, new YORK, ASSIGNOR'rownnswon'rrr MOUNTING co. Ind, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A conPonA'rIoN oFDELAWARE.

FOLDING SCREEN.

Application filed November 2,1923. Serial No. 672,276. 7

My invention relates to folding screens of the knock down type such asare used for advertising displays in store windows. These screensusually consist of a sheet of muslin on which the advertising matterappears and frame members for holding the muslin in stretched condition,the frame being made in sections so that the muslin or screen properforms a hinge connection between the fram'esections to permitthesections to be placed at different angles in order that the screenmay be self-supporting. My present invention relates to a very simpleand inexpensive form of knock down frame for screens of this character.The frame consists of strips disposed along the edges of thescreen-sections and held in spacedrelation by a spreading member or armwhich is attached to one ofthe frame members and adapted'to engageanother frame member to hold them spaced apart. Under the presentinvention this spreading member is hingedly attached to one of the framemembers by very inexpensive means so that the cost of the screen isreduced to a minimum, which is an important item because these screensare generally made in great quantities and are generally used for a.limited time for display'purposes and are thendiscarded.

In the drawing forming part of this application,

- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a screen embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is an edge view thereof,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a similar View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the sheet forming the hinge for thespreader.

In Figure 1 of the drawing I have shown a screen composed of threehinged sections, 1, 2, and 3 formed with one sheet of fabric 4 as thecontinuous member of the screen. All sections are alike so that adescription of the parts comprising one section will answer for all ofthem. It will be understood that the screens may consist of only onesection or any greater number of sections, In Figure 1 I have shown thespreading member in the several sections in different positions.

Each section of the screen is shown pro vided with a strip 5 along oneof its edges and a similar strip 6 along its opposite edge these twostrips being preferabl arranged longitudinal groove 7"project-inginwardly 1 from one edge and these are arranged so that the grooves ofthe strips 5, 6 are directed toward each other. To each. frame member 5there is pivoted a spreadingv member 8 having one end hinged to themember 5 and having it-s'end projecting into the groove 7 of thismember. The other end of the spreader 8 is adapted to be moved into thegroove 7 of the member 6 so that when the spreader is positioned atright angles to the members 5, 6 as shown in the upper section of Figure1 the ends of the spreader will lie in thegrooves 7 of the. members 5, 6and will serve to hold these latter members "5. 6 apart with the fabricbetween them held taut and smooth. I am not the first to em ploy aspreading member between parallel frame members of affolding screen butI believe I am the first to use the novel form of connection herein setforth.

In attaching the spreader 8 to the frame member 5 to form a hingedconnection, I proceed as follows:

A strip 9 of pliable material such as tough paper or fabric is placedacross the grooved edge of the member 5 the strip being folded uponitself and preferably cut to conform to the shape shown in Figure 5. Thesurface 10 of the section 11 is provided with glue or other adhesivewhere this section touches the member 5; and the surface 12 of thesection 13 is likewise provided with glue or other I adhesive. Thisstrip is placed across the grooved edge of the member 5 and the end ofthe spreader member'8 is pressed against the strip 9 while the spreaderis disposed in the position shown in the lower section of Figure 1; andthe spreader is pressed into the groove 7. The pressure of the spreaderwithin the groove 7 causes the strip 9 to be formed into the shape shownin the drawing. That is to say, the spreader forces the section 11 intothe groove 7 so that the adhesive coated surface of this section ispressed into contact with the three surfaces of the groove. As shown inFigure 3 the section 11 has a vertical wall 14 adhering to one surfaceof the groove, a wall 15 adhering to the opposite surface of the groove,and a Wall 16 adhering to the bottom surface of the groove; and theedges projecting beyond the groove are turned over as shown at 17 inFigure 3 to adhere to the edge of the memher 5. While the strip 9 may bepreviously shaped in the manner described I prefer to shape it by thecooperative pressure between the spreader 8 and the member 5. When thespreader member is placed against the strip 9 it contacts with theadhesive covered surface 12 and as the spreader is forced into thegroove 7 the section 13 is formed into the shape shown in Figure 5 sothat the Wall 20 adheres to one edge of the spreader and the walls 18,19 adhere to the opposite sides of the spreader. When the spreader hasbeen forced into the groove the pressure between the parts holds thestrip 9 snugly against the several surfaces so that when the adhesivedries the strip will be firmly glued to the member 5 and the spreader 8.In the operation of forming this hinge the operator only has to positionthe strip 9 and press the spreader 8 into the groove 7 and the screen isthen ready to be rolled up and shipped. The only cost of the connectionis that of the strip 9. There will be a spreading member with this formof hinge connection for each section of the screen the fabric of thescreen serving as a hinge connection between the adjacent frame members5 and 6.

When the screen is to be set up for display purposes the free end ofeach spreader is swung downwardly from the member 5, the strip 9 servingas a hlnge connectlon between the member 5 and one end of the spreader,the latter remaining within the groove 7 of the member 5. As thespreader is swung at right angles to the member 5 the free end 21 ismoved into the groove of the member 6 and one section of thescreen isthen assembled for display and this operation is performed on each ofthe several sections of the screen. It will be apparent that with thisform of connection I avoid the expensive operation of having to place ahinge pin through the member 5 in the spreader and I avoid breakage ofthese strips; and

the spreaders may be attached to the members 5 at any stage in themaking of the screen.

Having described'my invention, what I claim is: A collapsible screencomprising a sheet 0 pliable material and a collapsible frame therefor,including strips attached to the sheet and spaced in parallel relation,said strips having longitudinal grooves in their opposing edges, aspreader adapted to lie partially in the groove of one of said stripsand having one end hinged in said groove by means of a pliable memberhaving connected sections, one of said sections being glued to thebottom and side surfaces of the groove of one of said strips, and theother section having walls glued to the edge and side surfaces of saidspreader.

Signed at the city, county and State of New York this 9th day ofOctober, 1923.

WESLEY L. WAD SWORTI-I.

